


Alterations

by seekingtomorrow



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Slow Romance, There will be romance, a lot of focus on mikasa figuring out who she is and who her allies are, but it's not the priority right now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2014-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-31 20:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1035981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekingtomorrow/pseuds/seekingtomorrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Are you willing to abandon your humanity to save the thousands who will only curse your name?  Can you truly become a monster for the sake of the ones you care about?  Because once you've been chosen to carry the burden of your people, there is no other alternative.  AU where, under very different circumstances, Levi saves Mikasa from the traffickers.  Shifter!Mikasa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my NaNoWriMo project. Hope you all enjoy! This will be a multi-chap that will later expand on Mikasa's years spent in the Scouting Legion (I've written some of those parts already, tbh).

It all started with a crest carved into the palm of a young girl's hand, a red scarf, and a smile. Later, when all is said and done, it ends with cobblestone roads so deeply sodden with blood that every step is mushy. It ends with broken bodies hanging from trees, and the unexpected death of an unexpected player. The grand finale is bittersweet, tinged with the sadness of loss.

But for now, it begins.

* * *

Mikasa should have known when the men knocked on her door that fateful afternoon that something wasn't quite right. Bounding off her chair and ignoring the heavy sighing of her mother—who was probably irritated with Mikasa's lack of progress regarding her sewing—she unlatched the heavy bar on the door and swung it open.

A man, clean shaven and handsome stood outside. When he saw her, he cocked his head. "Is your mother around?" Mikasa felt an odd pit gather at the bottom of her stomach, roiling like the calm before a storm.

Her father put his hand on her shoulder. "Go to your mother," he whispered into her ear, his voice uncharacteristically stern and almost…frightened? Mikasa immediately complied, her feet padding against the silken wood of her home. When she reached her mother, the woman threw an arm around her shoulder, trying to usher the child into the next room.

"What's wrong?" Mikasa whispered, sensing the irregularities of her parent's behaviour. She slipped her hand into her mothers, feeling the faded scar of their clan mark on the woman's palm. "Is everything okay?"

"Stay here," her mother pointed her to the closet in their shared room. "Do not come out until I tell you to."

There was a crashing noise from the kitchen. Mikasa saw her mother's shoulder hitch. "Mama?" She asked, hoping for her mother to turn around and promise her that everything would be alright. "Mama, what's going on?" She tried to edge toward the door, but her mother's body concealed the open crack.

"Promise me, Mikasa." Her mother grasped her by the hand. "Do not come out until I tell you it is safe."

"I promise," Mikasa said. She wasn't quite sure why, but tears had begun to flow from her eyes. They streamed from her face, hot and stinging like when you touch something before it properly cools down and although it doesn't burn you, you're left with the tingling sensation for the rest of the day. "What about you and papa?"

Her mother shook her head and giving Mikasa one soft push inside, shut the door behind her. That was the last Mikasa saw of her parents.

"Where's the kid?" A man's voice echoed from outside the door. Mikasa stuffed her fist into her mouth, trying to keep her breaths calm and steady. She remembered the time her father had taken her hunting, how he'd instructed her on how to stay as quiet as possible to not scare away the prey. Mikasa wondered if this was what it felt like to be a deer, cornered by hunters and knowing that there was little chance of escaping.

"She's gotta be around here somewhere," said another. "There's no way she could've gotten that far." Footsteps sounded on the wood floor, coming closer and closer until Mikasa heard the click of the door. The man was right outside the closet.

"Please," she whispered, hoping that somebody would save her. "Leave me alone." Her nails dug into her palm, burning deep scratches into the skin.

The man flung the closet door open. He smiled at her. "Look what we've got here."

Mikasa shrank away from the man's gaze, trying to make herself as tiny as possible. The man reached forward, dragging Mikasa out by the scruff of her neck. "The woman had a daughter."

Had? Mikasa craned her neck, wondering where her parents were. Instantly, she wished she hadn't. Her father lay face down near the door in a pool of rapidly spreading blood. Her mother was just off to the side, crumpled as if hit over the head with her hands covering her stomach. Mikasa went limp, the fight immediately going out of her. "Mama…? Papa…?"

The man dropped her. Mikasa slumped to the ground. "Should we take this one, instead?"

The other shrugged. "She's an Asian, isn't she? At least half of one. That'll do."

"Boss won't be pleased."

"I don't care what the boss thinks."

Mikasa heard their words, but failed to register anything. She was numb. One of the men stuffed a wadded up cloth into her mouth. She struggled at first, but his hold was too strong and eventually, her vision grew dark.

When Mikasa awoke, the first thing she noticed was the twine of rope tied around her wrists and ankles. The next thing she noticed was a figure sitting in a chair by the door to the plain wooden room she was in. Upon realizing that she was awake, the man sighed. "Don't bother screaming. Nobody here is going to hear you."

Mikasa looked down at her bonds and back up to the man. "What's going to happen to me?"

The man blinked, surprised. "You're awfully calm about this." She stared at him with eyes like obsidian. The man nearly recoiled from her icy gaze. There was hardly any expression, as if the girl had chosen to block off all emotions. "You're going to get handed off to other people," he told her. "I don't know what's going to happen to you after that."

The girl inclined her head, regarding the ropes wound around her wrists with curiosity.

A knock sounded at the door. The man grumbled and stood up. "Didn't I tell you—what the hell?" A boy stood outside, wringing the bottom of his shirt between his hands. "What do you want?"

"I think I lost my parents," he said pitifully. "Can you please help me?"

"Well, I can tell you that they're not here," said the man. He began to shut the door when the timbre of the boy's voice dropped.

"I asked you to help me," the boy said coldly, thrusting outwards with his hands. Judging by the look of surprise on his face, the man hadn't expected the knife. Still, he slumped to the ground all the same. The boy yanked the knife out, grimacing, and turned to the only other occupant of the room. "Are you okay?"

Mikasa, who'd been watching the entire exchange with dull eyes, nodded vaguely. "Did you find your parents?" She asked, her voice raspy from lack of use.

The boy kneeled down, sliding the blade of the knife under the ropes. He accidentally brushed past Mikasa's skin somewhat indelicately, opening up a small cut. "Sorry."

She barely responded.

The boy looked at her with strange eyes, but continued cutting until the ropes that had previously kept her limbs immobile, were sawed through. "We have to get out of here."

Mikasa massaged her wrists. "Where are we going to go?"

A new voice sounded. "Nowhere." The boy was suddenly lifted up by another man who'd, unbeknownst to Mikasa or the boy, entered the room. The boy began to choke, trying to gulp down breaths, but the man's grip was too strong.

The boy waved his hand at Mikasa. "Fight!" He wheezed. "Fight!"

Mikasa saw the knife the boy had dropped. It lay on the ground innocently, the blood staining the blade faded to a dark rusty colour. Reaching toward it, she picked it up by its handle and aimed it at the intruder. Her hands shook, betraying the look of cool confidence on her face.

"You have to fight!" The boy choked out, clawing at the man's hands.

_Fight?_ The word echoed in Mikasa's mind. Looking at the scene in front of her, a boy just a few years older, slowly getting the life drained out of him, she felt something deep within her shift. This wasn't something she was entirely unfamiliar with. Images of her father after a hunt, dead bodies of animals dangling from his arm and hanging in the smokehouse, drifted through her mind's eye. The one time she'd witnessed wild dogs hunting rabbits, sinking their long canines into the soft necks of their prey. This was survival. _I must fight_. Steeling herself, Mikasa's fingers tightened around the grip of the knife so much so the wood handle cracked. Shifting her weight to her back foot, she took off in a burst of speed, aiming for the man. _I must fight_.

When the blade sank into his back, the man dropped the boy out of pure surprise and wheeled around on Mikasa. "You little brat," he growled, reaching his meaty hands out towards her. Mikasa, still strung on pure adrenaline, darted out of his way. The man lunged after her, managing to grab her by the hair. She yelped and taking a page from the boy's book, sank her nails into the calloused hand.

Then, the grip loosened and with a dull _thud_ , the man fell forwards. Mikasa looked up and saw a girl pulling the very knife she'd dropped earlier out of the assailant's neck. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Finally, Mikasa's face crumpled and she began to cry. "My parents…my home…" Snatches of phrases and words punctuated her sobs.

"You can come live with us."

Mikasa lifted her head at the voice. The girl bent down and handed Mikasa a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face.

"You can live with us if you'd like," repeated the girl. "It's just me and my brother." She pushed one of the bodies out of the way, letting Mikasa and the boy exit first.

"It's a small house," said the boy. "A really small house."

"Levi," the girl chastised. Then, she turned to Mikasa. "What do you say?" Mikasa nodded silently. Taking the older girl's outstretched hand, she followed her to their horses. "We usually hunt around this area," she explained. "I was just getting ready to go back when Levi saw the light from the window."

Mikasa looked down at their feet, watching the indents their shoes made in the soft soil. "It's very cold," she said, curling her hand into a fist around the cloth of her dress. She felt a warm hand slip into her own. Looking over to her side, she saw Levi walking alongside her, but staring pointedly in the other direction.

"Don't get lost," he said brusquely.

The girl took Mikasa's other hand in her own. "You can come home with us," she promised. The smile on her face was at odds with her harsh features, but it lit them up all the same. "My name is Reya."

"Mikasa." She said quietly. She looked over at the boy.

"I'm Levi," he said. "Reya is my older sister."

Mikasa smiled at him. "Thank you," she said.

Levi's face grew red, the tips of his ears tinged with the colour. "I should be thanking you," he muttered. "You saved me."

"You saved me, too. I guess that makes us even. And you too," said Mikasa to Reya. "Thank you."

Reya brushed her hand through Mikasa's hair affectionately. "You're going to be okay. Don't worry. We'll take care of you."


	2. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next one will span Mikasa's childhood and everything after that will be spent with her as part of the military. A lot of these events are going to be canon-compliant, and since I don't really want to have to describe everything in detail (and I doubt any of you will want to read through all of that), I will probably just gloss over it more for the sake of context than anything else.
> 
> Another side note: this Levi is only about five years older than Mikasa, so he'll be around 14-15 now. Reya is 19-20.

The next two years of Mikasa's life were arguably the most trying. Her new home—a tiny house located in the poorest part of the Tontegora district just within Wall Maria—was nothing like the place she'd grown up in. Her new family wasn't wealthy by any means, she knew that. And yet, in spite of her poor living conditions, the leaky roof, short candles burned down to the last nub, ratty blankets that always left her shivering in the dead of night, Mikasa was happy.

"Can you teach me that?" She asked Reya one day, transfixed by the older girl's ability to use her knife to defend herself after a near-mugging in the darker areas of Tontegora. "I want to learn self-defence, too."

The girl chuckled, slipping the knife back into its sheath. "One day," she promised her. Mikasa held her to that promise and on the eve of her tenth birthday, was presented with a knife of her very own.

"Thank you, Levi." Mikasa had said to the boy shyly. Reya frowned at her brother, disapproval clear in her eyes. It had taken a substantial amount of persuasion on Levi's part for her to agree to teach Mikasa. But, she did. And Mikasa excelled at it. Whether it was from natural talent or pure determination, Reya couldn't discern. Mikasa was brilliant. She dodged every blow with ease, parried every strike with a powerful one of her own, and could instinctively predict where Reya or Levi would strike next.

"You're getting good at this," admitted Levi, handing Mikasa the jug of water after he'd taken a draught. Normally, he was adverse to the idea of sharing drinks with a girl—let alone from the same jug!—but his sister had ingrained in him how to be a gentleman.

Mikasa nodded solemnly. "I need to get as good as I can," she said without a hint of joviality. "You protected me last time. This time, I want to be the one to protect you."

Levi, who'd been wiping at his forehead with a rag, paused. "You want to protect me? Why?" It was an innocent question, which made it all the more difficult to answer.

Mikasa shifted from toe to toe uncomfortably. Turning her gaze to the alleyway across the street, she kept her eyes locked on the stragglers roaming the narrow path. "I want to protect everyone I love."

Fourteen year old Levi, who'd never so much as talked to a girl before, let alone hear her admit that she loved him, was a bit of a shock. Jumping nearly three feet in the air, he stumbled back, knocking his head against the side of their house. He slid to the ground, groaning.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, eyes wide and curious. "Do you want to take a break?"

Levi shook his head. A flash of black across the street caught his eye. "We should go back inside," he said. His voice, usually peppered with varying tones that were indicative of a boy his age, had suddenly become low and serious. "Mikasa," he said, addressing her by her first name, "we need to go back inside, _now._ "

Mikasa tried to peek over Levi's shoulder, but he thrust out a hand to stop her. Taking her by the arm, he all but dragged her back inside the house. "What's going on?" She asked desperately. "Is something the matter?"

"Reya," Levi ignored Mikasa's inquiries. "They're here."

Reya peered out the window above the sink and nodded. "Take Mikasa with you to the bedroom and lock the door. Only come out when I knock three times, okay?"

"I can stay here with you," said Levi.

"I'll be fine on my own," insisted Reya. "If they see you, they'll get suspicious and wonder why I'm letting a kid participate in the dealings."

"I'm not a kid!"

"Levi."

"Fine. Come on." He took Mikasa's arm again, this time gentler, his fingers lightly curling around the limb.

"What's going on?" Mikasa asked for what felt like the thousandth time. "You still haven't told me what's going on."

"Not now," snapped Reya, but immediately looked apologetic afterwards. "Levi will tell you later. Just go into the room and don't come out until I say it's safe. Don't make any loud noises either."

Before Mikasa could properly protest, Levi led her to the shared bedroom, latching the door shut behind them. "It's okay if they see me," he told her quietly, "but they don't know about you yet and we don't want to take that chance." He peeked through a hole on the wood. Mikasa tried to elbow him out of the way so she could take a look as well, but Levi wouldn't budge. Finally, he pulled her down by the shoulder. "Don't tell Reya."

Mikasa nodded solemnly and put her eye to the hole. Outside, several burly men were locked in a heated conversation with Reya. They were frowning and Reya was shaking her head, repeatedly pointing to several glass bottles on the table in front of them. One of them heaped a cloth bag on the table with a clink that was oddly reminiscent of the times that Mikasa would accompany her parents to the market.

The transaction went on for several more minutes, Reya and the men arguing back and forth in low voices until they'd reached an agreement. The men took the bottles and Reya the clinking sack. After they finally left, she latched the door behind them and made for the bedroom.

"You can come out, now."

"What was that?" Mikasa asked, once assured that it was safe to talk.

Reya sighed and looked over at her brother, who shrugged. "Everyone," she started off, "has their own way of surviving. Ours just isn't a very safe one."

"Safe?"

"You saw those men," said Levi, his eyes dark. "If you got them mad enough, they'd kill you. They wouldn't even care that you're just a kid." He turned his head to the side, still fuming. "Next time, I'll deal with them. You get the supplies and I'll cover the deal."

Reya shook her head and handed Levi a list. "That's not happening. Here, take Mikasa with you down to the marketplace. Show her around. Make sure you teach her _everything_."

Levi scowled, but took the list from his sister and turned to Mikasa, whose eyes were bright and excited.

"Don't get too worked up over it," he grumbled. "It's dirty work."

And dirty work it was. Mikasa hadn't realized it at the time, but Reya and Levi were nothing more than merchants dealing in illegal goods, mainly drugs. They belonged to an organization far larger than them. Levi would go to the 'market', an underground system where he would hand off the money to another messenger, who in turn, would supply the boy with a week's worth of goods to be sold. It was, Levi articulated, a stupid system that was only in place to protect the higher-ups.

Initially, Mikasa had felt unsure about all of this, but quickly grew accustomed to the sleepless nights—spent in fear of an angry client—and mad dashes through alleyways to avoid the police, who seemed keen on sniffing them out. Levi laughed at this observation and told her that they were just as bad.

"They just want the money," he'd said. "If they catch us, we get locked up and they can take everything we have and blame it on people just like us. We never win."

A year passed. Mikasa grew nearly three inches during that time, but was still shorter than Levi, who took every opportunity to point it out. She also grew tougher and soon, her skills outstripped that of nearly every kid in the district, save for Levi whom everyone knew better than to challenge anyways.

She should've known, really. This life, these people were all too good to be true. Mikasa should've anticipated that there would have been some price to pay for murdering that man. She just never knew it would be so expensive.

Tontegora was a rough district. In every alleyway huddled a dangerous vagrant, fully capable of dismembering another human being. Even the police, few as they were, had a corrupt gleam in their eye and many were active participants in the drug trade.

"Stay close to me," Levi said. Mikasa inched closer to the boy, pinching the sleeve of his shirt. "Don't stare at anyone."

"I know," she said irritably, aware of the dangers that awaited them each time they stepped outdoors. "I'm not stupid." Even so, she felt the unwelcome eyes of several people on her, had felt their gaze since she first stepped into the area.

"You're not," he agreed, "but they are." He took Mikasa by the hand, weaving in between tightly pressed crowds of people.

"How much?"

Levi wheeled around, looking for the source of the voice. Beside him, Mikasa tightened her grip as her free hand strayed toward the knife kept at her waist.

"How much?" The voice repeated. A figure walked toward them and Levi sighed, relieved that it was only a man in a brown coat with shiny brass buttons. "For the girl." He gestured to Mikasa. "How much you sellin' for?"

"She's not for sale," said Levi, edging his body in front of Mikasa's.

"Greedy little bugger, ain't ya?" The man laughed heartily. "I don't blame ya, not in the slightest. Things like her," he jutted his chin toward Mikasa—who shuddered with revulsion, "are a rare thing. None too many of them around no more."

"She's a human being," said Levi. "She's not for sale."

"You're acting like you're better than me," the man said, stubbing out the butt of his cigarette using his shoe. "I don't like that." His voice lowered to a growl.

"I don't like you," countered Levi. "Old geezer."

The man laughed, clutching his large belly. "You're just as bad as me. No, you're worse," he spat. "Little boy acting like he's some bigshot thug running errands for mommy, ain't ya?"

Levi lunged, but Mikasa's iron grip held him back. "Don't," she said, her glare steely. "He's not worth it."

"Not like your boyfriend is either, missy. Why don't you come with me?"

As the man lumbered forward, Mikasa withdrew her knife, positioning it toward him. "I will hurt you if you come near me," she said.

The man stopped, holding his hands up. "Fine," he said, backing away. "I really didn't want to have to use force, but I guess I got no choice."

Another person appeared behind Levi and grabbed him from underneath his arms. Mikasa saw the man coming and without thinking twice, drove her knife into his side. He dropped Levi and the boy grabbed Mikasa by the arm. "Go! I'll catch up with you later," he said, eyes frantic as he withdrew his own weapon.

Mikasa shook her head resolutely. "No way. We're family, now. Family sticks together."

Levi watched more people step from the shadows, obviously agents of this slave trader. "I was sort of hoping you'd say that."

When they returned to the house, Mikasa found herself wincing as she walked, the squelching noise in her shoes unpleasant to the touch. Beside her, Levi wiped his face with his sleeve, every part of him drenched in red, save for his spotless face.

"Levi, Mikasa!" Reya swooped down on the two, wet cloths in her hands. Bending to Mikasa's level, she gently wiped the blood from her face. "What happened?" She asked.

"Someone tried to take Mikasa," said Levi, taking the other rag from Reya's hands. "We stopped them."

"By killing them…?" Reya's voice trailed off as she looked at her brother with fearful eyes. "Levi."

"We had no other choice," he said, deadpan. "If I didn't do anything, she would have been taken away. Reya, they were traffickers. It was a clean cut. We got all of them."

"Levi." She grabbed him by his shoulders, her own shaking. "A lot of those traffickers are very well-known. They have _connections._ Please don't tell me you killed all of them."

Slowly, Levi nodded.

Reya hunched her shoulders, head drooped down. "They're going to find us," she whispered fearfully.

"I'll fight them off," said Mikasa, who'd been silent the whole time. "I'll make sure we're safe. Don't worry, Reya."

"Mikasa, you can't fight forever. You have to know when to give up."

Mikasa disagreed with her, but chose not to voice it.

"We'll be fine, Reya," consoled Levi. "They won't find us and we can pretend it never happened, even if they do."

Levi had never been so wrong in his life. Shortly after, members of the Garrison appeared and took Levi into custody. They would have taken Mikasa too, had Levi not put up a fight and insisted that it was solely his doing.

The trial was a disaster. Mikasa suspected that the witnesses had been either paid for, or were also part of the trafficking organization, their leering grins making her insides roil. Eventually, they settled on a verdict. Either Levi was to be put in prison, or serve as part of the Scouting Legion, a faction of the military with the highest fatality rate. Levi, never one to be cooped up, chose the latter.

Reya cried for a week after that.

In the months following, Mikasa felt a tremendous shift in her family. Without Levi, things were different. She missed him immensely, to the point where she had difficulty getting up in the mornings.

 _Levi's gone_ , she'd often think to herself in the cavernous silence that accompanied each meal with Reya, whose dead eyes were all too familiar to Mikasa. _Levi's gone and I'm never going to see him again._

"Don't go back," Reya told her one day. "To that marketplace." She had gotten thinner and thinner with each passing day, the shadows under her eyes a stark contrast to her bone-white skin. "They might recognize you."

"How are we going to survive?" Asked Mikasa. "You've stopped working and now I can't even go out?"

"They never forgive," said Reya. "And they never forget."

And as much as Mikasa hated them, she thought those were good words to live by.

By this point, there was no way that Mikasa's life could get any worse. And yet, it did.

* * *

Mikasa rounded the corner, her heart beating in her ears and her breaths rapid. The door was open; its latch lay in pieces on the ground. She felt bile crawling up her throat and nervous anticipation claw at her insides. She _knew_ it was a bad idea to go back to the marketplace. How many times had Reya reminded her of the corruption that ran rampant in the district? How many times had she herself witnessed people being murdered in the streets without anyone running to their aid?

"No," she whispered to herself. Pushing forward, ignoring her screaming muscles that told her to stop and rest, she ran into the house and prepared herself for the worse.

Inside, it looked as if a struggle had taken place. Dishes were knocked over, porcelain shards crunched underfoot as she gingerly walked through the kitchen. Then, she heard it. Lying, half concealed by the table, was a foot. As she walked around the length of the piece of furniture, a body came into view. It was a man with nondescript features. Dark hair and dark eyes, just like most of the people Mikasa encountered on a day to day basis. The only difference was that this man was dead, sporting a deep gash on the side of his neck. The blood had begun to pool on the floor, seeping into crevices and gathering in the dips of the wood.

Mikasa wrinkled her nose, but examined the body for a weapon anyways, unsure whether or not the person who'd committed the deed was still in the house. As she turned the body over with her foot, she caught a glimpse of the man's jacket. Emblazed on the back was a sigil that she was very familiar with: a green unicorn sporting a flowing white mane. He was from the Military Police.

"Reya?" Mikasa whispered. She opened the bedroom door with the tip of her foot and was immediately horrified by what she saw. Reya lay crumpled on the ground by the bed, surrounded by shards of broken glass. "Reya!" Mikasa bent down, ghosting her hands over the body, completely unsure of what to do.

Reya rolled over, but only just slightly. Her eyes were half-closed and her breathing was shallow. "Mi…kas…?"

"Don't talk," Mikasa cradled her head on her lap. "I'll find you some help. You'll be fine." This scene—someone she cared about deeply harbouring fatal wounds—felt eerily familiar to her. "It's going to be okay."

"No," said Reya, her voice sharp despite the bloody mess that was the front of her chest. Mikasa stared down at the wounds, but Reya shook her head. "I'm beyond help, now." Her voice had turned back to a whisper.

"I'll get help," insisted Mikasa.

Reya softly took the hand that Mikasa had put on her shoulder and squeezed it weakly. "They're going to come back," she breathed.

"They?" But, Mikasa knew who she was talking about. Even though it was months ago, grudges ran deep. It wasn't karma at work here, but the desire for equivalency. It was a 'you kill one of my men; I kill one of yours' type of thing.

Reya nodded, clearly slipping between coherency and confusion. "You have to go. Don't stay here."

"I can't leave you." Mikasa squared her shoulders. This wouldn't be like last time, she promised. Last time, she'd listened and ran and lost _everything_. She refused to make that mistake again. She was a little older, a little more scarred, and a little wiser now.

"You have to, Mikasa." Reya said angrily. "They will come back and they will kill you."

"They won't. I'm stronger than them."

"I know you are," said Reya. "But even if you win this battle, what about the next one? And the one after that? Are you going to be fighting all your life?"

"If it's to protect the ones I love, then yes." At the time, Mikasa hardly registered the finality of such a statement. But, what's been said has been said and no amount of pouring over words unspoken or uttered would alter the path her life beginning to be set on.

"Don't fight this," said Reya. "Stay alive. Protect Levi, please."

"Levi…" Mikasa looked lost, remembering the boy who'd taught her nearly everything she knew about fighting.

Reya reached down and yanked something that hung around her neck. She handed it to Mikasa, who didn't even bother admire the fine gold chain or locket that hung off the end. "Take this to the Yeagers in Shiganshina. You remember them, don't you?"

Mikasa nodded, vaguely recalling an afternoon spent with one of Reya's clients and his son. The boy had vivid green eyes, she remembered. And he was a bit of an idiot, if she was to be entirely truthful. "I do."

"Give that to Grisha. He'll know what it means." Reya's breaths grew laboured, the wound taking its toll. "You'll live with them. Stay safe. Do not avenge me."

"Please don't," begged Mikasa, even though she knew Reya would have her way.

"Before you go, burn down the house. There must be nothing left of us. They must think we all died. That is the only way you can live normally." Reya looked at Mikasa with incredibly clear eyes. "You _must_ do this, Mikasa. Get rid of your fears. This is not just for you."

Mikasa nodded wordlessly, feeling a creeping numbness in her bones.

Reya's eye softened. "Good. Now, go. Set fire to this place. I've always wanted to go out with a bang."

With one last look, Mikasa lit a lamp on the furthest end of the kitchen table and knocked it over onto the curtains. The glass shattered, fire creeping alongside the edge of the cloth and wood. Soon, the room was engulfed in flames and Mikasa was forced to leave, her face buried in her sleeve.

She didn't turn back, preferring to keep the memories of that house and its inhabitants untouched by flames.

* * *

It took Mikasa a while, navigating from Tontegora to Shiganshina, but she eventually made her way in. Asking around, people were more than willing to point her in the direction of the Yeagers', swayed by her bright, curious eyes.

As she approached the house, she felt the grooves of the locket's chain dig into her hand. She used her free hand to knock, hoping that this was the right place. Eren answered the door and Mikasa could hear the voice of his mother, chastising him for not bothering to ask who it was.

"Hi," he said, eyeing Mikasa. "I know you, but I don't remember your name."

"I'm Mikasa. Is your dad around?"

Grisha Yeager, who'd heard his name being called from the kitchen table, appeared in the doorway. "Can I help you?"

Wordlessly, she handed him the locket. Grisha took it, brows furrowed. He opened the necklace and nodded a few times, humming to himself. Finally, he let Mikasa in. "Welcome, Mikasa Ackerman. I suppose you'll be staying with us, then."

"Staying with us?" Eren asked.

Grisha nodded. "Treat her as you would a sibling."

Eren looked from his father to Mikasa. "Are you going to be part of my family or something?"

At those words, at the very mention of family, Mikasa broke down. The stress—from seeing Levi taken away from her, witnessing Reya's final moments, watching her home go up in flames—had finally caught up with her. She felt empty and cold and more than anything, she wanted her mother.

Something warm wrapped around her neck. Months of training caused her to instinctively flinch, but the perpetrator was only Eren, who had begun swathing Mikasa in a large red scarf. "Are you cold?" He asked. "You were shivering."

Mikasa watched him without saying a word.

"You don't have to worry now," he continued. "Are you feeling better?" He threw the last bit of the woollen scarf around her shoulder.

"I am," she said, voice muffled by the cloth. "I feel a lot warmer."


	3. Nightmares

Whenever Mikasa went to bed at night, she dreamt the same thing. There was a woman clad in white, beckoning to her. She looked like Carla Yeager, long hair draped over one shoulder, but when she smiled, Mikasa saw a bit of Reya in the way the corners of her eyes crinkled.

" _Protect Eren for me, won't you?_ " She spoke with the voice of Mikasa's own mother, the noise both familiar and foreign to her all at the same time. She smiled, thin lipped and tight, as blood began to drip from the sides of her mouth.

Mikasa would then reach out toward the mysterious woman, but she would start coughing and flecks of blood would dot the pristine white floor.

 _"How could you do this to me?"_ The woman sounded horrified and desperate, clutching at her stomach where red blossomed onto the dark cloth. _"Mikasa…"_

Mikasa opened her mouth to scream for help, but her throat was dry and no sound could escape her lips. She couldn't even turn away from the sight in front of her; all she could do was watch as blood slowly drained out of the woman until nothing was left but a dark cloak on the ground.

And when Mikasa looked down at her own hands, they were always, _always_ covered in blood.

She woke with a start. Though the nights were cold—a damp sort of cold that would seep into your bones regardless of how many layers you wore—she was covered in sweat. Frantically, she edged toward the window, glancing down at her hands, and when she realized that they were clean, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's going on?" Christa's quiet whisper jolted Mikasa out of her reverie.

"Nothing," the taller girl responded. "I just woke up to go to the washroom."

"Oh," Christa nodded, "I'll come with you."

"No need. I'll be quick."

Christa climbed out of her bed, wrapping herself entirely in the blanket. "Then, it should be no problem if I come with you. What if I need to go to the washroom?" Mikasa didn't answer, but her lack of reply told Christa that she wouldn't exactly refuse her company.

"Careful." Mikasa held the door open for the shorter girl to walk through. "It's dark." As the words passed through her lips, a tremor of pain shot up her right arm and caused her to flinch ever so slightly. Grimacing, she clenched her hand into a fist and ignored the strange buzzing of the limb.

"Are you okay?" Christa whispered as the two navigated the sparsely wooded area behind the cabins. "You looked really out of it during training today." She was referring to the numerous hits she had managed to land on the other girl, a feat normally impossible for anyone, save possibly Annie.

"I'm fine," replied Mikasa. Locating the washroom, she walked over to it and gingerly pushed the door open with her aching hand. "Do you mind if I go first?"

Christa shook her head.

Mikasa pushed the door open further, but as she did so, a splinter embedded itself in the palm of her hand and she ripped her hand off the wood as if it had been burned.

"Mikasa?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she repeated like a mantra. "I'll just be a second." She closed in the door in Christa's worried face and then turned to look at her own in the dirty mirror. Dark circles had gathered under her eyes and she looked far paler than normal. "I have no idea what Jean sees in me," she whispered to herself, remembering the weird boy who'd, on more than one occasion, shouted out his affections for her in the crowded mess hall only to be laughed at.

Looking down at her right arm, she lifted it up to the light, palm upwards. There was nothing odd with the appendage. The only thing that could be interpreted as out of place was the carved symbol, though that was something Mikasa had lived with since she was young.

There was a drop of blood, however, oozing from the center of the crest. It grew larger and larger until it became a droplet, which cascaded down Mikasa's pale arm and dripped onto the floor.

"Shoot," she whispered, searching for anything to mop up the mess with. However, the blood continued to pour out. Her hand was burning, growing hotter by the second and Mikasa could feel her entire body start to heat up.

Breathing in, she tried to calm herself, but the slow trickle of blood from her hand from the ground only made it worse. Looking up, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and the face staring back made her heart thud painfully. It was only for a brief second, but Mikasa thought she saw her mother smiling back at her. Then, the face morphed into something completely different. The darkness prevented Mikasa from completely making out its features, but she could tell that it wasn't human. Stone-like patches grew on its shoulders and neck, fanning out as it got closer to its chin. She stared closer and something caused her to reach forward to the touch the glass.

The creature in the reflection did the same.

Mikasa shrank back immediately, but not before driving her fist through it. Sinking down to the ground, she cradled her bloody hand and thudded her head against the wood, trying to drive out the image of that terrifying face. Ruby-red blood dripped from her right palm and Mikasa felt like she was drowning in the liquid.

"Mikasa!" The door opened and moonlight poured inside.

"Don't come in!" Mikasa said raggedly. "Don't come in."

She felt herself being lifted up with rough hands. They examined her fist and brushed away the tiny shards of glass. "What were you thinking?" Jean Kirschtein asked angrily, not sounding at all like he normally did whenever he spoke to her.

Christa hovered around Mikasa's other side, kicking the larger pieces away from her feet. "Mikasa, I heard you screaming and was going to go in, but Jean came out here too. Mikasa?"

Mikasa let her head loll on Jean's shoulder for a moment, but remembered the blood. "How am I going to explain the blood?"

"We'll bandage you up," said Jean, blushing furiously at the contact. "It's not too deep of a wound."

Mikasa shook her head. "The blood on the floor. How am I going to explain that?"

"Mikasa," said Christa worriedly, "there is no blood on the floor. What are you talking about?"

The girl in question shook her head. "I was bleeding from my right hand. There was a puddle of blood in here."

The other two looked down at Mikasa's right hand, which as always, was wrapped in a white bandage—though the patches of red was the only difference from her normal appearance. However, Mikasa herself hardly seemed aware of it, her eyes scanning the floor for the aforementioned puddle of blood while she pointedly avoided glancing at the reflective mirror shards dotting the ground.

"You must have been dreaming," said Christa finally. "You probably slipped or something."

Mikasa could hardly hear Christa's words, slipping lower and lower down. "Hey!" Jean hesitated slightly before wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her up. "We have to get her to the infirmary."

"At this time of the night?"

"We'll say she couldn't see and fell or something."

"It's Mikasa. Nobody is going to believe us."

Mikasa registered that people were talking around her, but the words failed to compute in her head. Her right arm, though still feeling as though there was an inferno blazing within, had cooled down somewhat, as had the rest of her body. Against her will, her eyes began to droop shut and as blank-looking faces above her crowded her view of the night sky, she could only think of one thing.

_What was that face in the mirror?_

* * *

Though Mikasa's dreams were always the same, she never saw that face again and eventually, it slipped from her mind. Her mind was completely occupied with training and as her body grew stronger, the memory that night faded until she'd pushed it out of her mind completely.

Time went and passed. Training eventually came to an end and Mikasa graduated at the top of her class. She hoped that Eren would have a sudden change of heart and decide to join the Military Police, but she knew that he was far too intent on becoming a part of the Scouting Legion. Mikasa had resigned herself to it and knew that the only way to keep him safe would not be to prevent him from achieving his dream, but to accompany him and see to it that he did so in the safest way possible.

"You graduated top of the class," Eren said to her, smiling genuinely. "I knew you could do it."

Mikasa absentmindedly smiled; despite the warmth that was rapidly spreading throughout her chest, this wasn't the first congratulations she had to put up with and the attention began to sap away at her. "We should go to bed soon."

Eren raised a brow, eyes darting around the party-like atmosphere around them, an event suggested by Sasha and Connie who seemed the most relieved to relax for those few precious hours before the dawn.

"Tomorrow, they want us to patrol the wall," she reiterated what Shadis had drilled into them earlier that night. "Clean the cannons and such. You'll need a good night's sleep."

"Are you going to bed now?"

Mikasa nodded. "Soon."

Eren sighed. "I'll go," he promised, finally conceding and surprising Mikasa with his complacence. "Just give me a few minutes. You don't have to wait up if you're too tired."

Mikasa left the mess hall first, walking the short path to their cabins.

"You left early?" A voice came from the trees. The figure stepped into the dim lighting surrounding the wooden structures, pulling the collar of their white hoodie up to stave off the bitter chill. "Thought you would've stayed longer."

"I'm tired," Mikasa replied, not feeling in the mood to converse with anyone, let alone Annie Leonhardt. "We have a long day tomorrow. I'm going to bed."

Annie nodded absentmindedly. "Are you okay?" She asked in a rare show of concern, though her expression gave nothing away. "You're looking pale."

Mikasa pressed to her forehead. She was burning up again.

She hadn't told anyone, not even Eren or Armin, but from time to time, she experienced that strange wave of heat coursing through her body, especially concentrated in her right arm. Fortunately, it wasn't painful, but it was uncomfortable and at times, she would feel nauseous. This was looking like it was one of those times.

"I just need to go to the washroom," said Mikasa. "I'll be fine. See you tomorrow."

Annie nodded again and let Mikasa walk away, not bothering to follow. For once, Mikasa was grateful for the other girl's utter lack of interest in anybody's personal life. Grasping for the tiny trees that grew in patches along the walkway, Mikasa managed to get herself to the front door of their cabin. The inside was completely dark; she was the first one back. Making her way to her bed, she lay down without even bothering to change. The kind of exhaustion she felt was deeply rooted, as if it was housed in her bones and refused to dissipate no matter how much rest she got.

"I'll protect Eren," she whispered to the chill night air, wisps of it blowing into the room through miniscule slats in the wood. "I promise."

She said this every night; a mantra she recited to whatever deity was listening, in the hopes that her nightmares wouldn't plague her. But, even before she'd fully closed her eyes, the image of that woman materialized in her mind's eye, burned onto the inside of her eyelids like the afterimages from looking into the sun for too long.

_"Protect Eren for me, won't you?"_

And even though her nightmares prevented Mikasa from truly getting the rest she deserved, this would be the last peaceful night she would ever sleep through.

* * *

The next morning was a flurry of activity with everyone getting ready for their various duties on the wall. Mikasa knew Eren was excited, his joyous attitude stemming from their graduation, and eventual commencement into the Scouting Legion.

Everything was going fine. It was going great. Mikasa would be able to protect him, as long as she stayed by his side. Nothing would go wrong.

And then, after an uninterrupted five years of relative peace, the Colossal Titan reappeared and took with it a section of Wall Rose.


	4. Battle of Trost

"Mikasa Ackerman?"

Mikasa turned to the man who'd called her name. "Yes?"

"I'm Ian Dietrich," he said. "Part of the Stationary Guard. I've been asked to reassign you to the rear guard." His shaggy blond hair hung in his eyes, a grim expression taking over his long face. "Immediately."

Mikasa turned to Eren helplessly. "But, only the elites are assigned to the rear guard."

Dietrich nodded. "These orders come from higher-up. I'm only supposed to be in charge of you for the time being."

"Mikasa," said Eren. "Go."

"Eren," said Mikasa. "But, what about you?"

"I'll be fine," he insisted. "Go Mikasa."

She sighed heavily, exhaustion already wearing her down. "Would it be possible for him to come with me?" She asked Dietrich.

The man shook his head. "I've received orders to bring only you. And these are orders, Ackerman. I understand the desire to stay with your comrades, but I assure you that this would be the most efficient method of protecting them."

Though the man's logic was sound, Mikasa wasn't swayed in the slightest. "Fine," she agreed, "I'll be there with you in a second." The man nodded to her and walked off, allowing her a few more minutes to say goodbye.

"I'll be fine," insisted Eren. "You're being chosen to be part of the elites, Mikasa. This is a good thing. I don't understand why you're being so hesitant, right now. Are you scared or something?" His eyes flashed dangerously, a sign of an oncoming fight that Mikasa had neither the patience nor willpower to deal with.

_No!_ Mikasa wanted to shout. She wasn't scared. Titans didn't scare her half as much as humans did, anyhow. At least titans killed humans for the sake of feeding, regardless of whether or not they actually digested them. Humans, on the other hand, had motives. Humans could kill just because they wanted to be cruel and because they _could_. "Be careful," she said to Eren. "Take care of Armin, too."

"I know," said Eren, his expression softening slightly. "We'll be fine. I'll see you later."

Mikasa nodded wordlessly, pulling her scarf over her mouth and breathing in the scent of home, faint as it may be. It was funny, really. Though the scarf reminded her of the Yeagers whose kindness had permitted her survival, it could get stifling and sometimes, she wanted nothing more than to pull it off her neck. "See you later."

She had no way of knowing that this would be the last time she was able to have a truly private moment with Eren. After the Battle of Trost, nothing was the same.

* * *

Mikasa felt nothing. The horror that usually came with knowing of a comrade's death had not hit her yet, and she had no intention of letting it do so. The only thing she could do, would do, was to continue. She had a duty to Armin. She had to ensure his survival, as well as the survival of her peers.

Clutch and release; it was a process. There was a rhythm to the 3DMG, a way of twisting your body to maximize its reach. Mikasa focussed on that, barely acknowledging the massive amount of gas she was consuming, or the worried looks of the people around her.

Then came the jerk.

Her Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear had finally run out of gas and while she could still launch the hooks into the wall to prevent her from falling, she was unable to launch herself through the sky.

She fell into the awning of a store before hitting the ground, the tarp cushioning her fall. As she lay there, she listened to the whizzing of her peers above her and hoped that they had gotten away from the titans. "Ere…" She forced herself not to say the name, trying to erase the boy's existence from her mind. She knew it was futile. The moment Armin told her of Eren's demise, he was the only thing plaguing her thoughts. She didn't blame Armin, though. It wasn't his fault; it was hers. She should've argued harder, should've stayed by his side.

The slow footsteps that had caused the ground beneath her to rumble, paused. Looking up, Mikasa noticed a titan had peeled off from the pack and was regarding her with the sort of curiosity that a predator would lend its prey. Then, it began to advance. Mikasa reached for her blades, only to realize that they had been broken down to their very last shards and she was still far from the supply depot.

_Is this it?_ She thought to herself. Maybe this was punishment for escaping death the last time. Maybe she'd see her mother and father again. This time, she'd apologize to her mother for messing up her embroidery. She'd ask more about their long-extinct clan, the mysterious symbol on the palm of her hand, the forgotten histories. She'd thank her father for taking her on the hunting trips deep inside the woods and the special lake in the middle of the forest where he'd first taught her how to swim.

_This is it._

Mikasa noticed a blur approaching the titan. The figure sprinted across rooftops with near inhuman speed, dodging around chimneys and slow-moving titans. As it approached the titan nearing Mikasa, the figure drew their blades and spun, taking out a chunk of the titan's neck. The giant froze and leaning forward, it toppled to the ground in front of her. The figure landed deftly on the ruined neck, their hood blowing back from their face with the force of the landing.

A plait the colour of ink was tossed over the person's shoulder while their dark eyes regarded the titan apathetically. As they raised upwards, they caught sight of Mikasa and froze, sizing her up.

Mikasa breathed in deeply. "Reya?"

At the sound of her name, her eyes widened and like a frightened deer, she took off. Launching the hooks of her 3DMG into the nearest building, she swung herself upwards and out of sight.

"Mikasa!" Lifting her head, she saw the face of Jean come into view. "What are you doing? Let's go!"

Wearily, she got to her feet, reaching for the uneven bricks of a house nearby to steady herself. Her legs wobbled and she fought to keep herself upright. "I'm fine," she said, waving off Jean's hands. "I can get along fine."

She staggered to her feet, looking as if she'd topple over any moment, but as she'd promised Jean, she didn't. "I'm okay," she promised. "We should get going before any other titans come." But just as she said those words, a deviant type flew through the air and latched its misshapen body onto a nearby tower.

"Shit!" Jean looked over at Mikasa. "Do you have your gear?"

She nodded but as she readied herself to take to the skies, she realized that her blades had been broken down to the very last notch and she was completely out of gas. Jean's gear was damaged as well, a large dent marring its usually shiny surface.

He reached for Mikasa's hand to pull them away from the danger, but just as he did so, another titan entered the vicinity. However, this one was different. Unlike the others, it was leanly muscled and held itself with the stance of a fighter. Instantly, Jean knew that even Mikasa was outmatched, especially since she was lacking the proper materials.

"We have to get out of here."

Mikasa nodded her agreement, but didn't take her eyes off the titans, who immediately launched an attack against the wall-hugging deviant, completely ignoring the two humans. "He's not attacking us," she murmured.

"What?"

"He's not attacking us."

"If we wait around any longer, he will be!"

"Jean," Mikasa addressed the boy," there's something not quite right about that titan. He's not even _looking_ over at us."

"Are we going to just stand around and wait until he does?" Jean didn't wait for Mikasa's response and as he grabbed her by the arm, Mikasa let herself be pulled along. "I have no idea what's going on with that titan," he said, "and I have no intention of getting close enough to find out!"

"I don't think things could possibly get any stranger," she said to the boy, who nodded along with her.

* * *

Every time the boot of Levi's heel sunk into Eren's face, Mikasa twitched. Her face contorted as if she was the one being struck and eventually, her expression must have given away her ill intentions, as Armin held tight to her hand in order to keep her from leaping out.

Levi grabbed Eren by the hair and uttered words that Mikasa couldn't make out, but none of that mattered. He wasn't that far away. It would take her five steps—maybe even four if they were large enough—to reach him and when she did, she would give him a beating he'd remember.

It was funny, really. She hadn't seen the man for years, had missed him almost painfully and now that he was standing right in front of her, she wanted to kick his face in. It was only Armin's surprisingly steely grip that held her at bay, reminding her at once where she was.

After what seemed like hours, Levi finally ceased his assault, gripping Eren by the hair and speaking lowly to the boy. People in the audience shifted uncomfortably, whispers breaking out in pockets and travelling faster than Mikasa could pinpoint their origins.

"What's he saying?" She growled, digging her nails into the polished wood of the railing in front of her. She turned to Armin who could only shrug helplessly. "I need to know what he's saying."

Mikasa hated feeling this way. The rushing noise in her ears drowned out everything else, but she could still hear the thump of Levi's boots against Eren's body and the clacking of teeth hitting the floor. She felt someone squeeze her hand, startling her out of her reverie. Armin's eyes were fixed on the proceedings in front of them, but held her hand in his and squeezed again. _You don't have to do this alone_ , he seemed to be telling her. She squeezed back.

When everything ended, Mikasa followed Armin to a tiny room in which Eren was recuperating from his wounds. To her utter horror, Levi was there too, arm thrown carelessly over the top of the very same couch Eren was sitting on.

"Are you okay?" She murmured to her brother. He nodded, pressing the handkerchief offered to him by Armin closer to his nose.

Suddenly, Hanji grabbed Eren by the chin. Mikasa reacted instantly, reaching for Hanji's wrist, but Levi had noticed her movement and swiftly pinned her to the couch, her wrists locked in his grip.

"Let go of me." Mikasa tried to keep her voice from trembling, but to no avail. _I haven't seen you in so long. How are you? I've missed you. Nothing's been the same since you left_. _I just saw your sister and she's supposed to be dead._

Those were the words she wanted to say, what she was supposed to say upon her reunion with Levi, but they died on the tip of her tongue. This Levi wasn't the kind, if slightly brusque boy she'd spent the better part of two years with. This Levi with the tiny scars criss-crossing his hands and empty eyes was a stranger to her, made even more so by the bruises marring Eren's face and body.

"Calm down," he said and then relaxed.

Mikasa rubbed her wrists, ignoring the dark purple marks that had begun to form on the skin. "What are you doing?" She aimed the question at Hanji, who continued peering at Eren curiously.

"He's healed completely ," they said. "His teeth…Levi knocked a few out, but they're all here."

"The brat's a monster," said Levi tonelessly. "That's all there is to it."

The word rang in Mikasa's head. Was that all there was to it? Was it just Eren who was the monster in this case? _I've killed a man when I was a child_. _And I would do it again if it meant Eren could stay safe_. She glanced at Levi out of the corner of her eye, watching the man sip calmly from his teacup as if he hadn't just spent the last hour beating up a child. _I've done it for you._

"Why did you call us here?" Armin finally spoke up, having spent the past few minutes absorbed in his own thoughts. "You probably didn't do this out of the goodness of your own heart."

"You're right," said Levi. He turned to Hanji and they just nodded sadly. "Eren is going to join the Scouting Legion and be under my command as part of my Special Operations Squad." Lowering the cup, he locked eyes with Mikasa who glared back. "And I want you to join."

She blinked, instantly taken aback. "Why me?"

"Mikasa Ackerman. Graduated top of her class and according to several eyewitness reports, possesses the skill of a hundred ordinary soldiers. How could we just let you fade into obscurity?" Hanji lowered the file. They were breathing heavily, their glasses nearly fogged up with excitement.

"I guess you're more beast than human, too."

Mikasa didn't even have to look at the speaker to know who they were.

"Think of this as a chance to watch over your brother. Though, you'll be working with me most of the time. You may be good, Mikasa, but you have to get better."

At the use of his sister's first name, Eren looked over at Levi with vague confusion. The latter silenced him with a glare.

"Our first expedition is going to be in a month."

"Does Mikasa have any say in this?" Armin asked on her behalf. His eyes were lowered, giving off an air of distinct disappointment, but Mikasa sensed his anger. "You can't force her to do this."

"I won't have to," replied Levi. "If I didn't think she was going to accept the offer, I wouldn't have made it." He smirked uncharacteristically and the expression made Mikasa's stomach curdle unpleasantly. It reminded her too much of someone else, of a long braid swinging in the wind and apathetic eyes that could have cared less if Mikasa was nothing more than a corpse in an alley.

"Reya…" The word slipped out before she could stop it and Levi's eyes narrowed.

"What did you say?"

"I'll join." Levi could wait. She didn't need to tell him right away. After all, she had waited years to see him. A few days was nothing.

"Good." Levi picked his cup back up before realizing it was empty.

"Mikasa…" Armin stared between the two siblings, concerned etched on his face. "Will you two be okay?"

"We'll manage," said Eren. "We always have."


	5. Battle Between Trees, part I

They set off early in the morning, before the sun had even begun to peek over the tops of the clouds. As Mikasa mounted her horse, she felt a growing pit of dread in her stomach and though she knew that this job wasn't without its casualties, she wished that once again, Eren had chosen anything but this.

"You ready?" Levi asked, not quite looking at her, but rather, at the rest of his squad suiting up.

"I don't think I'll ever be," she replied honestly. "I need to talk to you." The words that had refused to come out last night were still heavy on the tip of her tongue. "It's important."

"So is this," she insisted. "It'll only take a minute."

"Not now."

"But—"

"Not now," he repeated. "You can tell me when we come back."

She chose not to press it and followed the corporal to where the rest of the squad was standing.

"Your first mission," said Petra to the girl. "Are you nervous?"

"Not really," replied Mikasa, but her eyes kept straying to Eren and Petra knew she wasn't telling the whole truth.

"It's okay!" Called out Gunther as he overtook them. "Petra and Auruo pissed their pants on their first expedition!"

"We did not!" Auruo yelled.

Eren laughed and Mikasa felt her heart lighten, but only slightly.

* * *

They rode for what felt like hours. Coloured smoke continuously erupted on either side of them, but the blasts from the small handguns were drowned out by the thundering hooves. Mikasa held her body low and followed the back of Levi's head; all the while keeping an eye peeled for titans headed their way. However, Erwin's formation was sound and they encountered none as they rode up to the entrance of the dark forest.

Then, there was a noise like the crashing of thunder.

"Did you hear that?" Petra tilted her head in the direction of the noise, not an easy feat on horseback. "It sounded like a titan…" Her brows furrowed. "Except I've never heard one move that fast."

"Might be a deviant type," suggested Gunther. "But the others will take care of that."

"Yeah," chimed in Auruo. "And even if they don't, I'm sure I could take it out easily."

"That won't be necessary," said Mikasa, eyeing the man with slight distaste. "Our objective is to protect Eren. Any detours will just waste time."

Erd let out a bark of nervous laughter. "I think Mikasa channeled Levi better than you, Auruo. Looks like she's a shoo-in for corporal."

Mikasa turned to smile at the man, but a certain noise distracted her. "The footsteps," she said. "They're coming closer." The large form of the female type titan burst from the trees, running with terrifying ease. It seemed to be following their group.

"A deviant type!" Petra called out.

From in front of her, Eren brought his hand to his mouth, preparing to bite down, when a fearsome glare from Levi stopped him. "Don't be too hasty."

Several members of the Scouting Legion swung down from the trees around them, preparing to engage the female type titan in combat. The first two aimed for her neck, but the titan dodged around their frenzied blade-swinging and with her free hand, grabbed the wire of the 3DMG and used it to fling its user into the ground.

"D-did you see that?" Petra asked.

"They need our help!" Yelled Eren. "They need our help," he repeated, watching as the second was plucked from the air by a huge hand and crushed to death. The broken body was dropped to the ground, the female type nearly smiling at the corpse. Looking up at the escaping squad, it took off in pursuit of them, its feet thundering on the natural path.

"Eren, just keep going!" Yelled Gunther. "Don't stop. Just keep going!"

"Have faith in the corporal," said Petra. "He knows what he's doing. Just keep going, Eren." She cast a worried glance over her shoulder at the rapidly approaching titan.

"Permission to engage!" Mikasa asked. "Permission to switch to Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear!"

Levi didn't respond.

"No," was his answer after a beat of silence that seemed to stretch on forever. "We have to protect Yeager."

Eren glared at the approaching titan, bringing his hand closer to his open mouth.

"I won't stop you," said Levi to the boy. "You can shift if you want. I know exactly how to put you down if you go out of control again. I won't tell you that shifting is wrong or that you shouldn't do it. That's not my call to make."

Eren froze, his hand halfway to his bared teeth. He looked at Levi helplessly. The man sighed.

"The only thing I can tell you to do is make the one choice that you won't later regret."

"Eren," said Petra over the loud crashing of hooves upon dirt. "Have some faith in us. We'll get you somewhere safe. Have faith in your comrades."

"I won't let anything happen to you," added Mikasa, feeling the weight of her Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear hanging from her hips. "I won't let anything happen to any of us."

"Brave words for a newbie," said Auruo. "But she's right. We'll get you out of here. It's only natural, seeing as we're the most skilled."

The titan grew closer. "Keep on moving," said Levi to the rest of his squad. "Don't stop." He looked over at Eren. "Have you made your decision yet?"

Eren nodded resolutely. "I won't shift," he promised. "I'll trust in my comrades! I'll, I'll keep going with you!"

Petra smiled, which reassured him somewhat, but the screams echoing from behind the squad was cause for their nervousness. The titan held a struggling woman in her grip. Thrashing about, she begged to be let go. The titan paused, almost as if she was actually considering the offer. Then, she scraped the woman against the wood of a tree with enough force to shave the upper half of her body off. Dropping the destroyed corpse, she resumed her pursuit.

"She's not slowing down," said Petra to Mikasa. "What sort of deviant type is that?"

"Hopefully the kind that's difficult to kill," replied Mikasa. "Wouldn't be much of a challenge otherwise." The expression on her face grew dark, looking at odds with her normally neutral visage. Turning back to the sprinting titan, she scanned it much like a predator eyes its prey, searching for weaknesses. In addition to its immense speed and stamina, it seemed to be more aware of its own shortcomings, demonstrated by its reaction to the soldiers using the 3DMG.

"Fire!" Came a voice from up above in the trees. As Mikasa and the rest of the squad passed through a thicket of trees, dozens of harpoons shot out, piercing the skin of the titan. "Fire again!" Mikasa recognized the voice as Erwin Smith.

More harpoons shot out from hidden cannons. Trailed by thick wire not unlike that used for the 3DMG, they wrapped the female titan in a cocoon, limiting her movement. As more and more of the pointed lances punctured her hide, the female titan's movement began to slow down and eventually stilled.

Levi stopped. "Get rid of the horses. Tether them somewhere else and switch to the Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear. Erd," he nodded to the man. "You're in charge for now. I'm joining up with Erwin for the time being."

Erd nodded.

"Remember our mission," said Levi. "You must hide Eren. Make sure that that titan does not get close to him."

"Yes sir."

"Levi." Mikasa dismounted her horse and moved toward him. "Was that our plan all along? To capture that titan? Did you put all of us at risk for that?"

Levi averted his eyes from her. "Listen to Erd. Do not go off on your own."

"This is the power of the Scouting Legion," said Auruo to a shell-shocked Eren. "Don't underestimate us, you hear?"

Eren nodded enthusiastically.

"Levi," Mikasa said more firmly. There was only so much of this she could take before lashing out. This Levi, so focussed on obeying commands, was alien to her, but she knew that somewhere deep down, the old Levi was still there. That Levi would still listen to her.

He finally turned, looking her in the eyes. "What is it?"

She sighed. "I need to talk to you about something." She began, but was distracted by Auruo's yelling for her to join them.

"Can you tell me later?"

She frowned. "Not really. It'll only take a second."

"Not now, Ackerman," he said, firmly but not altogether unkindly. "Tell me later." He brushed his hand alongside hers and the contact surprised her. Still, she opened her hand and gently wrapped her fingers around his. As children, they had held hands often, but this was different. "Stay safe and remember the objective of this mission."

"I know," she said.

"Now, go."

Nodding to him, she jogged over to where the rest of the squad stood. With one last vaguely hesitant look, she took off, anchoring herself to the trees above and using their height to propel herself through the air.

"Took you long enough," said Eren beside her. "What were you talking to the corporal about?"

"Nothing," she said, wincing as Eren narrowing dodged a tree. "Watch where you're going." She kept her gaze directed forward, willing the trees to part as she nimbly swung between them.

The squad was silent for a while; the only noise was the hiss of their 3D Maneuver Gear as it launched them from one spot to another. Though the area they were travelling through was quiet and seemed to be devoid of titans, Mikasa refused to let her guard down. Something about that titan earlier had set her nerves alight and though she trusted Levi to do what was _necessary_ , she wasn't sure if even he knew how to stop it.

A scream echoed through the forest. The noise took Mikasa by surprise, jerking her out of the lull that came with comforting silence. Quickly launching her hook into a nearby tree, she anchored herself there for a moment while she caught her breath.

"What was that?" Eren asked. He looked over at Mikasa worriedly. "Do you think something happened?"

"Whatever it was, it can't be good," she said.

"Right," agreed Petra. "We need to keep moving. The corporal will catch up with us. For now, keeping Eren safe is our main priority."

"Speaking of the corporal, isn't that him?" From over on her right, Gunther pointed to a gap between the trees. Mikasa craned her neck and could faintly make out the outline of a figure moving very quickly.

"Must be," said Erd. His gaze followed the figure as they moved alongside the group. Oddly enough, they didn't seem to want to get any closer, always keeping enough of a distance in order for their face to stay concealed. "Corporal!" He called over to the figure. "That was quick."

The figure either hadn't heard Erd through their hood, or simply chose to ignore them. Putting on a burst of speed, they overtook the group. Mikasa felt a pit in the bottom of her stomach, similar to the time when she was nine and those men appeared at her doorstep.

"Something isn't right," said Petra. "Why could Corporal Levi be here, now? How could he have caught up so quickly?"

"He's the corporal," said Auruo breezily, but even he sounded worried. Straining his eyes, he squinted in the general direction of the figure. Mikasa watched his line of sight and when his face paled, her heart nearly stopped in her chest. "That isn't the corporal."

"What?" Erd asked.

"That isn't the corporal," repeated Auruo.

"Gunther!" Petra screamed to the man who was closest to the rapidly closing-in figure. "Get back! That isn't the corporal!"

Gunther, hearing Petra, decided to increase his speed. Blades withdrawn, he went in for the kill. However, the figure stopped, letting Gunther shoot in front of them and just as he passed, they slashed through the wire. Gunther's eyes widened as the constant tugging that came with donning the 3D Maneuver Gear disappeared. His body jerked to the one side still attached.

"Gunther!" Eren yelled. But, it was no use. The man was gone, his eyes possessing the sort of dullness that came with death and his body hung limply from a wire. Eren made the motion to stop, but was prevented from doing so by Erd.

"Don't," he said. "We have to keep going."

"They killed Gunther!"

"And they'll kill us too if we stop," he said. No sign of sorrow showed on his outer visage; the man was resolute in his decision to protect the boy until such a time came when either it was no longer required, or he was dead. "Keep moving."

"They're the titan!" Eren insisted. Erd turned to him with surprise. "I know they are. They have to be. The way they moved, as if they knew how the 3DMG worked, means they have to know _something_."

"Eren's right," agreed Mikasa. "I'm willing to bet that whoever killed Gunther is also the titan that chased us down. And I have a feeling they're after Eren." She remembered the eyes of the female type, how the silvery blue of them seemed so familiar and so foreign at the same time. "It has to be an inside job. Otherwise, how else would they get a hold of the 3DMG?"

"They're coming back!" Auruo yelled. He dodged the figure's blades, repeatedly launching the harpoons over and over so that they were unable to get a clear shot at them. The figure swung around and shot into the trees ahead.

A sudden change in atmosphere popped Mikasa's ears. A quick look behind told her that something in the thicket of trees had emitted an enormous amount of light. Dust rolled in and the trees blew back; the only thing that kept her from getting swept up in the flow was her 3DMG. "Shit," she whispered, instantly recognizing the sight. With a brief glance at Eren, she knew he recognized it too. Or, had experienced it at one point or another.

A titan emerged from the trees behind them, its skin looking very much like the inside-out anatomy of a human. Shifting into a sprinting pose, it took off.

"That came from behind us," said Erd. "The person who killed Gunther is in front of us. If the titan is coming from behind us, who killed Gunther?" The titan advanced upon the group. Erd paused, letting the rest of the squad move ahead. "Keep going!" He said to them. "I'll hold her off!"

"Erd!" Eren yelled, watching the man move to what would inevitably be his demise.

"Don't look back!" Petra said. "We have to keep an eye out for—urk!" Just before she could finish the sentence, she was shot down from the sky by a green blur.

"Petra!" Auruo followed her down.

Petra gnashed her teeth together and aiming for a spot above her, managed to get herself upright, pushing the figure off her chest. As they were kicked back, their hood nearly fell from their head, but they managed to stop it in time.

They dashed forward and slashed their blades across Petra's chest and stomach. Or they would have, had not Auruo intervened at the most crucial moment. "You bitch!" He seethed, approaching them from behind. They dodged, unhooking the 3DMG to let themselves fall. Once the figure had cleared itself of Auruo, it headed upwards.

"The kids!" Petra looked to where the figure had flown. "We need to catch up!" Just as she said the words, the female type titan came thundering out from the trees.

"You go! I'll stay here and distract it!" Auruo offered.

"Where's Erd?"

"Petra, go!"

"No," she said firmly. "This is Mikasa and Eren's first expedition. I don't care that Eren is a shifter or that Mikasa is a prodigy. They need us right now. _Together_."

Auruo nodded shakily and the two took off, following the darting figure.

"Everyone's gone," said Eren to Mikasa. Their ragtag team of seven had been whittled down to two. Levi was, hopefully, still with the rest of the Scouting Legion, if he hadn't been killed already. Gunther was dead, killed by the mysterious figure. Erd was probably horribly maimed, if not dead. Petra and Auruo had been detained by the figure and if the female type titan had caught up to them, it wouldn't exactly bode well for the two. "Mikasa, what do we do?" For the first time in a long time, Eren looked to his sister for direction.

"We keep going," she said, refusing to let her composure falter. On the outside, she was calm, cool, and collected. But, on the inside, she was a roiling whirlpool of turmoil. Her skills were top-notch. She was unafraid of titans; she knew, in her heart of hearts, that she possessed the power to put them down. There was no need to be afraid of something you knew you could kill. So, why this? Why could she feel herself shaking? "Keep going until Levi catches up." She hadn't even realized she let the name, such a casual form of address, slip, until it was too late. Lucky for her, Eren was too stressed to notice.

"Mikasa! Above you!"

Mikasa's gaze shot skyward and realizing that the hooded figure was bearing down on her, rapidly changed direction. The two kept pace with each other, dodging in and out of trees, using the foliage as camouflage. Mikasa made sure to keep Eren in her line of sight the whole time. Finally, she put on a burst of speed, overtaking the figure. Spinning around, she waited for them to approach and just as they did, kicked them square in the stomach. They flew backwards and the force of the blow caused the hood to fly back, revealing their face. Mikasa felt as if her heart dropped all the way down to the pit of her stomach. "Reya?"

Reya wiped the side of her mouth with her wrist and looked up at Mikasa with a vague smile on her face. "Surprised to see me?" She looked the same as ever, heavily-lidded eyes and sharp nose contrasting against the soft roundness of her cheeks. The only difference was a ropy scar tracing the side of her jaw and the short hair, a far cry from her usual shoulder-dusting braid. "It's been a long time, after all. Actually, that's a lie," her smile grew feral, "I saw you in Trost not a month ago."

"You're supposed to be _dead_ ," Mikasa hissed, completely shell-shocked.

"Am I?" Reya's eyes hardened and crossing her blades, rushed Mikasa. Mikasa deflected them easily, her strength far overpowering Reya's. "You've grown strong," she mused. "But, are you stronger than me?" Gone was the kind woman who'd once offered Mikasa a home. Gone was the person who'd taught her how to fight with knives and how to catch a pickpocket in a crowd. In her place was this sneering villainess, the blood of Mikasa's comrade on her hands.

Mikasa willed herself not to dwell on the betrayal. Instead, she gauged the distance between them and where she guessed the female type titan was. Without answering Reya, she shot off, hoping that the other girl would pursue her. True enough, she heard the hissing of unleashing hooks and with a look behind, knew that Reya was following.

"Don't worry," she said. "I won't kill you! I promise."

"Yeah right," murmured Mikasa, still feeling the sting of Gunther's untimely demise. The forest opened up in front of her and soon, she was back on the dirt road that wove between the crowded trees. "Eren!"

Eren was standing on a branch, shading his eyes from the pockets of sunlight that crept through the thick canopy of foliage. "Mikasa!"

"Eren, go!" Mikasa called, feeling that Reya was beginning to catch up. "Go, now!"

Eren saw the woman behind Mikasa and though he didn't recognize her, something told him that she wasn't an ally. With the female titan approaching them from the rear—Eren could see her moving in closer and closer with every passing second—he knew there was only one thing he could do. He began to bring his hand to his mouth; the only thought he had in mind was how to protect Mikasa.

"Eren!" A new voice sounded. Petra, not maimed, but looking fatigued, appeared, Auruo by her side. He landed on the branch beside Eren, picked him up, and took off.

"Hey! Let go, man!" Auruo dropped him and Eren, not one to be smashed against the ground, began using his 3DMG to move upwards. "Mikasa's in trouble," he said, just as the strange woman practically materialized in front of him, nearly pinning him to a tree.

"So, you're the Yeager boy?" She cocked her head to the side, her black eyes glinting with poorly-concealed glee. Then, she shot forward like a cannon, with the intent of piercing him upon her blades. Petra managed to intercept the attack, but as a result, was stabbed through the shoulder. She hung like a marionette, anchored between the tree and the woman.

"Petra!" Eren yelled, trying to regain his balance. A whirl of wind beside him told him that Mikasa had just appeared.

"You betrayed me," she said to Reya, voicing her feelings for the first time.

Reya yanked her blade out of Petra's shoulder and whipped it through the air to sling the blood off. "This isn't betrayal," she said lowly. She turned to Mikasa with a wounded expression on her face. "Mikasa, come with me. It'll be just like old times."

Mikasa saw the female titan approach out of the corner of her eye. "You were supposed to be my family. I trusted you and you tried to kill me." She reached for words, for explanations, anything that would buy them enough time. "Why?"

She'd stalled enough. The female titan leapt forward, pushing through the defense provided by Auruo. She stretched her arm forward, trying to grab at them. Mikasa began to push off, hoping that she could bait Reya into getting in the way of the titan's grip. However, the titan stilled the moment it saw Reya, almost as if it was awaiting an order from her.

Reya laughed. "Did you just try to kill me?" She asked an enraged Mikasa. "I give you props for that. Very creative. Unfortunately, there's a lot you still don't know and I don't plan on being the one to tell you just yet." Turning to the female type, she smirked. "Get the boy," she said, the timbre of her voice dropping. "I want him alive."

Mikasa slunk into an offensive position and was about to strike when Petra and Auruo blocked her way. "Get Eren to safety," said Petra. Mikasa saw that her face was pale and limbs were shaking. Whether it was from exhaustion or blood loss, Mikasa didn't know.

"We'll take care of them," promised Auruo. "Go."

"Eren," Mikasa looked to her adoptive brother, who shook his head vehemently.

"Done saying your goodbyes, yet?" Reya interrupted. "Not that it matters. We'll catch all of you anyways. Or kill, depending on how much you struggle."

The female type titan, most likely fed up with waiting, struck at the two. Petra and Auruo leapt out of the way, each in opposite directions.

"Tch." Reya looked over at Mikasa and Eren, both of whom had stubbornly decided to stay and fight. "I didn't want to have to be the one to do this, but I guess you two leave me no choice."

"Eren, this is my fight," said Mikasa.

"Who is this woman?" Eren asked. Though he was familiar with her position in Mikasa's life, he had yet to see her face to face.

"Once upon a time, I rescued a young girl from a cabin in the mountains. After that, I offered her a place in my home with my little brother. We were such a happy family until the little brother was forced to join the military and the sister died, leaving the young girl all on her own," said Reya.

"You faked your death," said Mikasa. "You forced me to set fire to the house while you faked your death."

"A minor technicality. Now, instead of fighting me, why don't you just let Eren come with me?" Reya held out her hand, as if Eren was some prize to be won. "I'll call off the female titan. She does listen to me, you know. It's amazing, what a few well-placed threats will do to a person."

Mikasa moved bodily in front of him, her blades still drawn.

"No?" Reya shrugged. "Suit yourself. Your friends are fighting a losing battle, you know."

Auruo and Petra, despite moving like a well-oiled machine, were too exhausted and missing too many of their team members to call their battle a decisive victory. Though they had managed to land several blows on the female type, including gouging out her eyes, the titan had the distinct advantage of size, strength, and regeneration over them.

"She's blind," yelled Auruo to Petra. "Strike now!"

Petra swung down from above, spinning her body. Strangely, the titan stopped moving and after a few seconds, cracked open one fully healed eye.

"She…healed one eye?" Auruo whispered to himself, horrified of the implications.

The titan simply plucked Petra out from the air and with a considerable amount of force, threw her body against a tree. She landed at the base, her body angled at an unnatural position.

"No…" Auruo whispered to himself, having seen too many of his friends die in the recent hours. "No…" With renewed vigour, he challenged the female type again, keeping as far from her hands as possible. At last, he had reached her neck and just as he crashed down to deliver the final blow, the skin crystallized. His blades shattered against the diamond-like material.

The titan, growing weary of trying to fend off Auruo's blows, took this opportunity to slam the surprised man to the ground using her free hand. With her feet, she stomped on the body. Enemies defeated, she straightened up and resumed jogging, intent on finding the boy.

"You see that?" Reya whispered to Mikasa, their closeness a result of Reya defending herself from Mikasa's crashing blades. "Your friends died again. Needlessly, I might add. You could've stopped that, you know."

Mikasa saw red. Whizzing backwards, she ignored Reya's taunts and took off, hoping to find Eren. "Eren!" She called out, hoping that he was somewhere nearby. Behind her, the female titan's pace increased, her focus shifting to Mikasa. The girl dodged the titan's grasping hands, taking advantage of her size to skirt between the trees. Spotting Eren ahead of her, she put on a burst of speed to catch up with the boy.

"Mikasa." Eren's eyes were panicked. "Did they make it?" At Mikasa's solemn shake of the head, his expression turned venomous. "I'm going to kill her," he murmured. "Kill them all."

"Eren, I—" Mikasa never finished her sentence. Appearing out of seemingly nowhere, Reya surprised the duo from the side, pushing Mikasa into a tree. She ground her teeth at the impact and Reya whizzed off, aiming this time for Eren, the female titan not far behind.

Finally, Eren made his decision. Regretful that he had hesitated earlier and feeling the burden of his comrades' deaths, he chose to stand his ground. There was only one solution now. He had to fight. Bringing the heel of his hand to his mouth, Eren bit down as hard as he could. The answer was clear, as was his objective.

The rogue titan roared, the noise reverberating through the forest. Further in, Levi frowned at the noise, feeling a curious mixture of dread and anticipation toward its implications.

Mikasa could only watch as the two titans fought, transfixed by the sheer display of brute strength. Though the female titan seemed to have the advantage going into the fight, Eren was desperate, and desperation made people dangerous. The female titan, at first, was able to dodge most of his blows, but as the fight wore on, her reflexes were beginning to dull.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Reya's voice crooned next to her ear. "Your opponent is me."

Mikasa spun around. "I was just getting ready," she said coolly, locking away the rest of her emotions deep inside her. "Are you?"

Reya laughed, the noise high and chilling. "Let's see what you've got."

The moment their blades met, Mikasa knew she was outmatched. Not for lack of skill or power, but because Mikasa was still relatively inexperienced. There was a difference between training with the blades and actually using them in combat. Though her ability with the weapons when facing titans was on par—and in some cases, surpassing—many veteran soldiers, Mikasa had yet to use them against another human being. However, she refused to let that sinking knowledge deter her, forcing herself to focus only on what was in front of her.

Their fight continued on, Mikasa knowing that she was avoiding death only because Reya wanted her to. Her muscles began to ache. Every part of her ached and even her bones felt weary. Still, she fought.

Then, she heard it; a terrible squelching noise behind her. Spinning around rapidly, she bore witness as the female titan sliced cleanly through the top of the rogue titan's head, effectively decapitating him. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Leaning down, the female titan pulled Eren's still body out of the neck using her teeth.

"No!" Mikasa moved to intercept them, but in the heat of the moment, forgot about Reya. The woman slashed her blades at her back, opening up long, but shallow wounds.

The female titan began to jog away, Eren's body still in her mouth.

"Get away from me!" In a burst of fury, Mikasa knocked Reya's blades away from her and like earlier, set her spinning with a well-placed kick at her stomach. Heart pumping in her ears, she took off in pursuit of the female type. As she rounded a corner, the female titan's neck came into view. Mikasa leapt as high as she could, ready to bring her blades crashing down, but someone grabbed her around the waist, pulling her away.

"That's enough," said Levi, holding Mikasa as if she was weightless. "You're only going to hurt yourself."

Mikasa struggled, but to no avail. Levi's grip around her waist was too strong. "She has Eren. And she killed everyone else!"

"Not everyone," said a voice to her side. Erd Gin, looking bloodied, but very much alive, was following alongside them. "I managed to get away from the female type by playing dead. Not very cool, but considering the circumstances, it'll have to do."

Mikasa almost felt like crying.

"We'll get Eren," promised Erd. "And we'll get that person who killed Gunther."

Mikasa looked over at Levi, steeling herself to reveal the identity of the person, but the look in his eyes silenced her immediately. "When we catch up, I'll deal with the titan. You and Erd distract the double agent."

"But—"

"I've refilled up on blades and gas. You and Erd haven't."

"I can help."

Levi's eyes softened fractionally. "You will. Just stick to the plan."

Mikasa clenched her teeth, biting back the verbal lashing she would have otherwise given him. Shifting uncomfortably, she tried to ignore the sudden wave of prickly heat she felt underneath her skin, but it continued to grow hotter and hotter. Her hand, in particular, gave off the same sensation as it did when blood rushed into it after a long period of it being numb.

Erd looked over at the girl who'd suddenly gone quiet, concerned with her lack of response. "Mikasa?"

She jerked her head to face him and he recoiled slightly. "What is it?" She rasped.

Erd shook his head. "Your eyes," he said, but then shook his head. "Must have been a trick of the light."

Mikasa hardly registered the words, the buzzing in her head cancelling out every other noise in the vicinity.

"She's coming back around!" Called out Levi. "Be on your guard!"

The Female Titan had stopped, apparently finding her entourage too bothersome to ignore. Leaning forward, she hardened her hand into a crystal-like substance and swept it through the 3DMG wires of the person closest to her, that person being Mikasa.

"Mikasa!"

Mikasa couldn't tell whether it was Levi or Erd calling her name. Air rushed past her as she fell and with only one functional 3DMG hook, she knew that using it would kill her anyways. There was nothing left to do but wait.

" _Protect Eren for me, won't you?"_

Those words again. They echoed louder than the rushing air, louder than the whizzing of wires above her or the footsteps of the female titan. It was the only thing Mikasa could truly hear.

And then, something inside her snapped.


	6. Battle Between Trees, Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, sorry it's taken so long to update. I've been having a lot of issues with this fic-namely motivational-and a lot of charges were made to the plot. Mikasa/Annie is the main pairing and rest assured, they will have plenty of interaction in future chapters.

And then, something inside her snapped.

She wasn't sure how she did it, but Mikasa managed to gain leverage using her broken Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear. As she hung from a tree just a little ways away from where Erd and Levi were, she weighed her options. Reya was nowhere to be found, so she could either focus on getting Eren, or focus on finding that woman.

_"Protect Eren for me, won't you?"_

She knew what she had to do. Rushing forward, a part of her crashed against the female titan's arm and though the impact would have killed any human instantly, Mikasa was still alive, and better, burning with rage.

"Mikasa?" Levi called out.

She meant to only cast him a glance, but was immediately taken aback by the horror in his eyes. It was only then that Mikasa looked down at herself. From the elbow down, her left arm was gone, only to be replaced by a swirling mass of ribbon-like structures that writhed like snakes. They wove in and out of each other, but still retained the vague shape of the limb.

The female titan, sensing Mikasa's distraction, aimed another strike at her, but Mikasa felt it coming. Leaping out of the way, she unravelled her arm and used it to anchor herself to a nearby tree. As she hung from the branch, she watched the titan's eyes follow her, not quite sure what to make of this new enemy.

"Give Eren back to me," said Mikasa lowly. Her voice was rawer sounding, deeper and richer.

The titan lashed out with its arm, but Levi spun forward, rocketing down the limb and sending a spray of blood upwards. Mikasa pulled herself closer to the tree, shielding her body from the majority of the liquid. Her ears picked up the sound of clanging blades from nearby and when she looked over to the origin, she saw that Erd was engaged in a fight against Reya. And he was losing.

"Levi!" Mikasa called to him, jutting her chin toward Erd. Levi barely looked at her, but nodded all the same. Shooting off, he swung to join his comrade. The female titan, sensing the shift in the flow of the fight, followed Levi. "No, you don't."

Mikasa let herself go, winding ribbons around the female titan's hand and taking advantage of her massive size as an anchor. With the one good blade she had left, she drew herself toward the head as fast as she could, drawing the blade against the skin of the titan. The titan hardened their skin to that diamond-like material again, and Mikasa's blades shattered, but she continued moving.

"Erd!" Levi swung beside his comrade, blocking a blow from the enemy. The person leapt back and once they took note of their new opponent, stopped, and took off their hood.

"Hello, little brother."

Levi froze and even from far away, Mikasa could see the disbelief in his eyes.

Reya positioned her blades, pointing them at Levi. She smiled, the expression cracking her face in two. "I do wish we could have met under better circumstances, but you are getting in my way." She darted forward, moving to pierce Levi through the chest.

"No!" An unbearable wave of heat swelled up in Mikasa, pulsing through her right arm and without even thinking about the consequences, she shot forward, intent on saving him. However, the female titan placed a hand in front of her to block her path, crystal growing over the exposed skin.

It didn't occur to Mikasa that without a weapon, there was no way she would make it past the blockade, or that she would be defenseless against Reya. The only thing she could see was Levi and Reya's swords aiming at his heart. If Levi died, Mikasa would truly have nobody anymore.

Some instinct awoke in her, like some voiceless conscience that told her exactly how to move her body and what each new appendage was for. Even in those split seconds, Mikasa felt stronger and faster than she ever had before. As the female titan's hand drew closer and closer to her, Mikasa hardly felt fear or apprehension, and as she shot her own right arm out in front of her, it didn't register that that would have been considered a futile move.

The female titan's hand shattered upon impact, enormous shards of crystal raining upon the forest floor like hail. Mikasa emerged on the other side, her right arm crossed in front of her face to protect from the shower, only it wasn't an arm anymore. A long blade grew out from her elbow; the harsh contrast between the metal and flesh looked incredibly painful, but the expression on Mikasa's face radiated only pure rage.

She deftly cut through Reya's blades, the other girl drawing one of them back and regarded Mikasa with the sort of curiosity one normally reserved for animals. She cocked her head.

Mikasa breathed out through her mouth, aiming her bladed arm at Reya. From behind her, Levi and Erd were motionless with an odd combination of fear and anticipation. "I trusted you," Mikasa growled through what appeared to be rapidly elongating teeth. "You lied to me."

Reya giggled, the sound at odds with the rest of her appearance. As Mikasa brought her hidden right arm out from behind her back, the expression on Reya's face changed to one of extreme delight.

She gasped, almost childishly and if not for the weapons in her grip, most likely would have clapped. "I can't believe it!" She said proudly, sounding like past-Reya, who'd once praised Mikasa and taken care of the young girl. "You managed to shift partway without breaking the seal! I knew there was something special about you."

_Seal?_

Reya's face turned grim, a drastic change from her earlier countenance. "Guess I can't dial down my skills, then."

"Neither will I," responded Mikasa.

Noting the atmosphere around the two, Erd grabbed Levi by the collar, an uncharacteristic move of him, but necessary in this situation. "We have to get Eren."

Levi nodded, but he still appeared to be in shock and when he looked at Erd, he did so with distracted eyes that kept trailing back to his sister and Mikasa. "Okay."

Mikasa shied away from Reya's slashing blades, countering a few strikes with her own. With each swing, her arm grew heavier and heavier. Something red trickled into her eyes and with a shock, she realized it was blood, though whose blood it was remained a mystery.

"You're not as good as they said." Reya's face scrunched up in disappointment, but almost instantly, her eyes lit up with a manic glee. "Maybe you need some incentive?" Jumping away from another one of Mikasa's erratic swings, Reya shot toward where Levi and Erd were headed.

Growling under her breath, Mikasa followed, throwing the ribbons of her arm forward. It was an odd sensation; as though she was the one gripping each tree branch through a million fingers. She kept her other arm close to her body, but not so close as to cut herself on the blade.

"Brother!" Reya's voice rang out, clear as bells. "Did you miss me?" She descended upon him from above like some hellish bird of prey. Levi only managed to marginally avoid her as Reya plunged her blades through the trim of his cape and pulled, yanking him to a stop.

"Is this enough incentive for you?" She called out to Mikasa.

In her blind rage, Mikasa didn't notice the female titan move behind her and she foolishly anchored her body to its arm. With an almighty heave, Mikasa felt herself being pulled up. Startled, she cast her gaze upwards and realized she was hanging from the female titan's hand. It gripped the ribbons tightly and Mikasa found herself unable to retract them.

In the distance, she heard the clanging of blades and knew that Levi had engaged Reya. The two leapt through the trees in an impressive display of skill and ferocity. It was like watching some deadly dance; their blades lightly touched and were immediately forced apart, with each party retreating to a tree branch.

Erd hovered between the two, taking strikes at Reya whenever he could, but she outmaneuvered them each time. Each miss of his blade cost him a tiny cut, as Reya nicked whatever part of his body she passed by. Mikasa could tell that Erd was rapidly losing steam and would soon be easily overwhelmed by Reya.

However, her current situation wasn't much better. The female titan had healed her destroyed hand and crystal was quickly forming over the regrown limb. Mikasa yanked again, but the titan's grasp was far too powerful. There was only one thing she could do. Steeling herself, she placed the edge of her bladed arm behind the writhing mass of ribbons and pulled the blade toward her.

The pain cleaved through her and it took all of Mikasa's willpower not to scream. With her forearm severed, she began to plunge to the ground. Her head spun and it was only because of the adrenaline flowing through her that she no longer felt any pain. Her body hit the ground painfully, the bones in her back breaking upon contact. However, as Mikasa sat up, she felt something inside her shifting and realized with vague horror, that her body was healing itself. Her severed arm was steaming, not unlike the wounds that Eren had sustained as the Rogue Titan and within seconds, the pain in her back had subsided.

Looking up, she saw Levi feint around Reya and Erd appear out of the thicket behind her, knocking her sideways. While Erd kept Reya distracted, Levi aimed for the female titan. Coming in low, he slid up the length of its leg, blades cutting through muscle and tendon. The female titan, losing mobility in its legs, crashed against a tree and while it lay in shock, Levi took the opportunity to cut away at its arms and jaws.

Finally, the female titan's mouth dropped open and Eren's body began to slide out. Levi slid underneath and grasped him much like he had grabbed Mikasa earlier.

She itched to join the fight. It wasn't right, watching the people she cared about dance on the line between life and death while she stood there, unmoving. She was better than this, better than _them_. She could easily kill them all, so why wasn't she doing anything?

The thought startled her. It had come out of nowhere, like a voice whispering in her ear.

Shaking her head, Mikasa dug the ruined remains of her 3DMG blade into the canister. There was one blade left, but she only needed one. With her considerable strength—most likely enhanced—she broke it apart and held it like a javelin, aiming for Reya.

Her aim, though shaky with a mixture of exhaustion and rage, was true and the blade hovered above Reya's heart for a mere second before the other girl grasped it with her bare hand. "Nice try," she whispered. "Though, I'm going to have to step up my game a little." She tightened her grip around the sharp metal and it shattered.

The rest was a blur. Mikasa only remembered swinging her bladed arm at Reya and missing by a wide margin, and Levi swinging in and grabbing her around the waist, promising that she would have her revenge later.

Surprisingly, Reya didn't follow them. She just stared at Mikasa, smiling slightly as the girl was bodily escorted away by Levi.

The ride back to the walls was silent. Nobody wanted to discuss what had taken place earlier that day.

"Levi." Still, Mikasa was persistent. "I was going to warn you."

"You couldn't have known," he told her. His voice was hollow, as was the expression on his face. He stared straight ahead, refusing to look Mikasa in the eyes.

"I did know."

"About the female titan?"

"No, about Reya," she said.

"Reya is dead," said Levi, the words crisp and firmer than anything he'd said that day. "Reya died in a fire. What you saw wasn't my sister. Reya is dead."

Mikasa knew better, but chose not to press the issue. Every muscle in her body was screaming and as she looked down at her ravaged limbs, she noticed that her bladed arm was shaking. "She wanted to kill us…" Her eyelids were growing heavier and with every passing second, the urge to sleep was getting harder to resist.

"Mikasa, rest." Levi's grip tightened around her waist as he swung through the trees. "We'll get you out of here."

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Erd nod in acknowledge. The man gripped Eren's prone body, slick with saliva and blood.

Against her better judgement, she closed her eyes, and for a brief moment, enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping through her hair and the way that the sunlight streaming through the leafy canopy overhead seemed to paint its patterns into her vision. Eventually, her exhaustion took over, and she gave into sleep's embrace.

* * *

Mikasa woke up to the jostling of wagons and as she rolled over, she could feel her clothing crack, heavy with dried blood. "Eren?" She reached her arm out and felt the edge of his jacket.

"It's my fault." The words, she knew, weren't directed at her, yet they stung all the same. "I should have shifted earlier. Nobody would have died if I had shifted earlier."

Mikasa shook her head, looking down at her palm and the symbol carved into the skin. The surface of the scar was smooth and unbroken, just as always. However, this time, Mikasa could feel a very faint heat emanating off the mark. "Eren, I have something to tell you."

Her foster-brother sat up, wincing and pressing a hand to his bandaged head. "What?" His voice cracked and it was only then that Mikasa noticed the tears streaming down his face. Wordlessly, she handed him what remained of her torn cape and he took it from her.

"I…" She watched his face, watched the way his forehead wrinkled slightly at the center and chin wobbled, struggling to keep the tears from falling.

"Please be careful," she told him. "Lay down." She gently pushed on him until he lay flat against the wood of the wagon. Surprisingly, he didn't protest at her or insist that he didn't need her coddling. "We'll be back, soon."

He nodded, but Mikasa knew he wasn't really listening to her. His eyes were glassy and focused elsewhere. She stretched out her hand to adjust his bandage, but immediately yanked it back, remembering the way it had just abruptly shifted into a blade only moments before.

"I'll protect you," she whispered to him, even in spite of knowing he couldn't hear her voice. "You and Levi. You're all I have left." Lying down next to him, she closed her eyes and when that inevitable dream image of her mothers appeared, the phantasm only smiled at her and stroked her cheek with a gentle hand.

_"Be strong, Mikasa."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick side note, if you've read Ironwing, just know that Alterations!Mikasa came first and Ironwing was something I wrote during a slump. It may be continued later on, but Alterations is my main priority for now.


	7. Deception

_Two years ago._

As Mikasa watched, Annie easily dodged Eren's erratic blows, weaving in and out until she managed to find an opening; then, using his own weight against him, she slammed the taller boy to the ground, her hands clamped around his wrists.

His chest heaving with exertion, Eren got back up and slipped into stance. He beckoned to Annie with one open hand as the other girl eyed him distastefully.

"I think that's enough." Mikasa's voice surprised even her.

"I know my own limits, Mikasa." Eren's tired voice called back. She knew he was rolling his eyes, could hear the tone of exasperation in his voice.

Her fists clenched. "I know you do," she said, approaching the duo. Other trainees paused their sparring, watching the group with bated breath. "But I'm not sure," she nodded her head toward Annie, " _she_ does."

Annie rolled her neck in response. "You can't join the military and expect not to get beaten up every now and then."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. Slipping off her jacket, she let the garment fall to the dusty ground, and rolled her shoulders, letting her muscles loosen and relax. Shaking out her arms, she faced the blonde. "If you're so eager to fight, then fight me."

The blonde assessed Mikasa for a moment, her eyes roving over her body. There was no change in her facial expression, save for a tiny raise of the eyebrows that Mikasa interpreted as vague interest. Slowly, Annie brought her fists up to cover the bottom half of her face. She stayed like that.

 _She's not going to make the first move_. Mikasa knew people were watching them. She didn't like fighting and hated making a spectacle of herself. Regret weighing down her heart, she slowly slid into a stance. She made eye contact with Annie and held it. Neither girl looked away, waiting for the other to back down first. Finally, Annie's gaze swept downwards for a brief moment.

Then, she charged.

_Three days ago._

"It's Annie," said Armin with such finality that even the ever-stoic Erwin Smith nodded immediately. "I'm positive it's her."

"No way," said Eren, his voice trailing off at the end. Mikasa watched as he glared down at the table as if the wood had completed a felony. He slammed his fist into his own thigh, knuckles brushing up against Mikasa's own leg. "It can't be Annie!"

Mikasa only had vague recollections of the girl. Blonde hair and eyes the colour of ice. A heart of ice too, if Armin's deductions were to be believed. "I believe Armin." Her words were only half-heartedly spoken, but slipping through her lips with far more ease than she would have originally anticipated.

Eren wheeled on her as well, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How can you say that about someone who was your friend?"

Mikasa had to look away from his gaze, focusing her stare on a knot in the middle of the table, rings spanning out from the imperfection. Her fingers itched to brush against it, the silken feel of the wood underneath her fingers a welcome distraction from the brewing storm, but she kept her shoulders tight, hands locked beneath her thighs. "She was never my friend," she said slowly. "She was just someone I trained with."

 _Lies_.

"I never thought anything of her."

_You lie._

Eren's brows furrowed. "I can't believe you, Mikasa."

"Frankly, I don't care whether you believe Miss Ackerman or not." Levi's voice rang throughout the room, interrupting the two. "I just want to know who's responsible for all of this."

And though Mikasa refused to look up from her spot, she felt the weight of his glare on her. The wooden cane rested against the side of the table near Levi. In saving her, he had sprained his ankle and would be out of commission for the next little while. And though he never explicitly said he blamed her for the injury, there was something about the way he had been avoiding her recently that spoke volumes.

"It's Annie," repeated Armin, drawing the attention back to him. "And I know exactly how to stop her."

The pit in the middle of Mikasa's stomach grew as she watched the silent exchange between Levi and Commander Smith. The dark shadows beneath the Commander's eyes and light stubble grazing the side of his jaw cut a harsh figure against the soft orange of the setting sun. "I'm listening."

_Present._

Every muscle in Mikasa's body screamed at her. There was something distinctly strange about Annie, whether it was the way the girl seemed far too compliant, or the uncomfortably long looks she gave Mikasa, there was no way to tell. Even the way she walked, slow dragging steps against the rounded cobblestones, seemed odd.

"Where are we going?" Annie asked, the first time she'd spoken since she joined their group.

"We're taking the underground tunnels," replied Armin. "It'll attract less attention that way." He paused as they reached the entrance to one of them. "In here."

Mikasa followed Eren and Armin, but her eyes were trained on Annie. For a moment, the girl caught her gaze as well, but her expression remained stoic. "Aren't you coming?" Mikasa found herself asking.

Annie cocked her head, but her face didn't change. "I'm not sure I want to take that route."

"We can't attract attention," repeated Armin.

Dismayed, Mikasa noticed the trickle of sweat dripping down Eren's temples, a sure sign of anxiety. Armin, too, was far from calm, his hands shaking slightly. "It'll be quick," she said to the girl. "We just have to get through here."

"There are other routes." Annie spoke slowly, enunciating each word as if she was talking to a child. "We don't have to take this one."

"We don't want to risk getting caught," shot back Mikasa. She dug her fingernails into her palm, but as she felt the skin warm, she loosened her grip.

Annie didn't reply, but kept her gaze locked on Mikasa. It was only a slight movement, but Annie raised her chin. Her eyes narrowed and she wrapped her hands around her upper arms. It was a strange look on her, almost vulnerable, though every instinct in Mikasa told her that this girl was anything but. Following Mikasa's eyes, Annie stared down the length of the dark tunnel, stretching and winding like the throat of some great beast. "I don't want to go in there."

"We don't have a choice," Eren interjected, his voice peppered with impatience.

"You're acting strange," said Annie, her arms still around her body.

"You're the one acting strange," responded Mikasa. To her side, Armin's eyes darted from left to right and when he nodded fractionally, she knew it was time. "And we know why."

That piqued the blonde's interest. She didn't smile, but from the way her arms relaxed around her shoulders, Mikasa could sense her amusement. "Oh?"

"You're the female titan," Mikasa said lowly. "You killed Levi's squad and you know exactly where Reya is."

At the mention of the woman's name, Annie almost stiffened, and her step faltered. Then, like the sun peeking out from behind bloated clouds, she smiled, lips parting over snow white teeth. Her laugh rang out in the empty area, mocking and falsely cheery. "You're going to die, Mikasa Ackerman, if you choose to get involved with that woman."

"I'd rather die trying than betray my friends."

Annie flinched, but her gaze narrowed and she began to bring her hand to her mouth.

"Now!" Armin called out.

Immediately, hidden members of the Scouting Legion appeared out from behind buildings and other hidden alcoves in the area. Making way for Annie Leonhardt, they stuffed a rag into her mouth and restrained her arms.

Mikasa felt herself relax. It was going to be okay. They would live, Eren would be safe, and more importantly, she could find Reya. Then, she looked up.

Even though her situation was dire, Annie's eyes were still alight with manic glee. Her face red with exertion, she flicked her thumb across the silver ring on her index finger.

Bile, bitter and sharp, rose up in her throat.

_Flee._

_Flee, now._

She felt someone reach for her arm behind her.

"Mikasa, we have to get out of here. Get away from her!" Armin yelled at the soldiers.

But, it was too late.

With a great flash of light, the front of the tunnel collapsed, caving the three in, and though she couldn't see it, Mikasa could feel the great _thump, thump, thump_ of enormous footsteps above her and knew they'd failed.

"She's transformed," Armin whispered. He ran his hands along the wet stones of the tunnel, and for a moment, Mikasa half-expected him to press his ear to the wall and find them a way out.

The thumping above their heads grew louder and a few metres in front of them, the ceiling gave way to the skies above. Stone and dirt rained from above, but the three were unharmed.

"She's trying to kill us," Eren whispered.

Mikasa refused to turn around, refused to let herself bear witness to the betrayal she knew would be evident in his eyes. Taking a step forward, she drew her blades. "I'm putting an end to this."

"She just wants Eren," Armin said from her side. He patted his sides, the metal of the 3DMG making a hollow noise in the silence of the tunnel. A few more metres ahead of the caved-in roof, the tunnel broke once again. "But, she can't tell where he is. Mikasa and I will draw her away. Eren, you get out of here."

"What?"

She could hear it in his voice, that broken desperation she knew peppered her own tone years before. However, she kept herself still, waiting and listening. "Armin and I will go. You get out of here."

"I can't leave you!"

"I'm going to end this," repeated Mikasa. Shifting herself into a running position, she took deep breaths. The fog in her mind cleared, all the worry and doubts she harboured were momentarily gone. There was only one goal. Draw Annie away from Eren using any force necessarily, even if it meant putting her down.

"I can't…" Eren repeated. "I can't help you. I can't even shift."

"You have to fight," said Armin from behind her. "If you don't fight, you can't hope to change anything, Eren." His voice was gentle and despite the shaking of the earth beneath and around her, Mikasa found it soothing. "Remember that the titans are the enemy. We have to make sacrifices if we want humanity to win this war."

"If you don't fight, you don't survive." And without waiting for his answer, Mikasa took off running. Sunlight streamed through the gaping hole, blinding her momentarily, but she let the grappling hook fly and propelled her body out into the air above. Her lungs sang as she took deep breaths and for a second, she could let herself go.

Then, her body began to fall back down to earth, and looking around her, she saw the female titan—though she supposed it was now appropriate to refer to her just as "Annie"—staring down at the tunnel, as if to decide what part to destroy next.

Mikasa sank one of her hooks into the flesh of Annie's upper shoulder and with a vague degree of satisfaction, watched the titan look up and yank the cord away. Her enormous head turned from side to side, eyeing both the ruined tunnel, as well as the wall separating the inner district from the rest of humanity. Then, the titan stood up and began to run.

Turning around, Mikasa saw Armin fly out from the ruined mound and dart away. Still, no Eren. But, if Armin was safe, then she trusted that Eren was too. Propelling herself forward, she flew in-between and over buildings, trying to gain a lead on Annie. However, the titan was too fast.

As she came closer, Mikasa threw the hooks of her 3DMG into Annie's ankle and the metal grips took. Remembering Levi in the forest, she swung her body around Annie's legs, letting her blades scrape against skin. The flesh gave way to the metal, but in exchange for speed, Mikasa had given up the strength with which she usually applied to the blades and could not make incisions deeper than superficial wounds.

Her body on fire, Mikasa pushed herself, weaving in and out of Annie's limbs and avoiding the jutting crystal that appeared on her skin at random intervals. As she swung around to Annie's back, a shard of the stone-like substance grew from her waist rapidly, knocking Mikasa off course.

Mikasa shifted her body to the side, narrowing avoiding the sharp edge of the crystal, but it still grazed her body, opening up tiny cuts beneath her now-ragged clothing. Looking up, she felt anger well up in her as Annie still continued towards the wall, not even acknowledging Mikasa's presence. It seemed that she was nothing more than a pesky mosquito to her.

Mikasa swung to Annie's right side, unhooking and reattaching the metal into the soft flesh of her hip. Pulling herself up, she readied her body for another assault, but Annie took notice of her too soon. Gripping the metal cord, the titan yanked it from her waist and flung it away from her, the force of which pulled at Mikasa. For a moment, she sailed through the air, motionless, before being jerked to the ground, the hooks having found purchase in some building. As her body made contact with the stones below, Mikasa felt something in her leg crack and a sharp pain in her ribs. Squeezing her eyes tight, she rolled her body for several metres before coming to a complete stop.

Her eyes slowly shifted upwards, and Mikasa could only watch as Annie continued toward the walls. Reaching a bloodied hand out, Mikasa grunted, pulling at the gravel to force her broken body to move forward, but it was no use.

Suddenly, there was a roar behind her and the ground rumbled beneath her body. Light crashed around her, and even though she couldn't see it, she could feel the thick steam pouring off the shifted body of her adopted brother.

_Eren._

She knew he was going to try and stop Annie, and she knew it would only end in disaster again. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen.

 _Is this what it means to be human?_ The thought only crossed her mind fleetingly, but even in that brief second, she was horrified with herself. _But, it's true. I'm not human; at least, I don't think so. Not after what happened in the forest._

The memory of her body suddenly changing like that frightened her like nothing else. But, it had granted her power.

" _We have to make sacrifices if we want humanity to win this war._ " Armin's words rung in her mind.

Mikasa reached out her hand again, determined to bring herself to a standing position and reengage Annie, but exhaustion overwhelmed her and she let it flop to the ground. It was only then that she noticed it.

In spite of the blood and filth that dirtied the skin, the symbol that her mother had carved into the palm of her hand when she was young stood out as clear as day. Unlike the crest that had haunted her as a child, the motif she was forced to hide beneath layers of bandages and heavy sleeves, this emblem warmed her palm, beckoning to her.

_What am I?_


End file.
